Burial-vault closure



H. C. SPONHAUER.

BURIAL VAULT CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 2o, |919.

A 11.1111111111;4 We' :III

Patented July 12, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. c.- SPONHAUER.

BURIAL VAULT CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20,41919.

Fatemi July 12,' 1921.

2 sums-SHEET 2.

UNi-,TEpA- STATES PATE'NroFFicE.

HENRY c. sPoNHAUER, :oreniiiomoiiio' `1 To all/whom z' mayconcem: ly

Be itknown that I, HENRY'C.- SPONHAUER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Galion, in the` county of Crawford and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements 4in Burial-Vault Closures,of which the following is a specification. n u

This invention has to dowith burial'cases or what may b e` termedAportable burial vaults of the class designed especially to receive acoliin so"as\to=;inclose and protect the latter, with the bodycontainedtherein, when the Collin. in the case or vault has been. placedin the grave. j y

Among the particular objects of the 'invention are the provision of avault "or case of unusually rigid or substantial metal construction, theyformation `ofthe vault so as to render the same practicallyairtightwlien ther closure kprovided ,therefor is finally placed inposition, ancllockeck the a provi-v sion of special locking meansfortlie said closure, and the employmentof other detail featuresofconstruction and improvement, an understanding which will be readilyhad on reference to the following description in conjunction with the"annexed which:-

,A n l, i Figure` l is an elevation andsectional view of aburialcaseorvault embodying the invention` L t *i x t U c Fig. 2 is asectional view transversely through the vault and looking toward theinner side of the closure for the open end, the locking means `for theclosure being clearly( illustrated. t t t `Fig.` 3 is a sectional yviewthrough the central portion Vof the closure and bringing out moreclearly the operating means for the locking bolts, whereby `saidboltsare not only slidably actuatedy but caused to rock for final locking andsealing compression of the closure againstthe open end portion of thevault orcase. i 1 :l t Throughout the followingdescriptioii and in `thedrawings similar reference characters refer to similar parts,` As shownmost clearly inFig. l of the drawings, the vault or burial case of myinvention comprises a body A of metal construction closed atone end andhaving the other end `opened but adapted to receive a closure when thevault `is'to be `sealed for being placed in the grave. The bodyiAcomprises also a suitablebot- `Sp,gcificatioll of Iietterswf'atenn PaJIldrawings, in

Iwith, theinner side ofthe flange y l l tea July 12, i921., gApplication med october20,'191a` serial massless: 1

tom, andthe closed end'and thebottom are preferably united vwiththeupper or major portion of the vbody by means of `a double lapseamatfthegjuncture ofthe respectiveedges of vsaid parts. f `In order tolendrigidity to, the vault body, itis notablethat said body is formed Withtransverse corru` gat-ions,fshown at l, andadditionally itwill be seenthat thebodyiscurved at its'uppcr portion to'provide'a sort offarcliedforni in cross section. "The corrugated and arched formationjustdesc'ribed is of obvious advantage forf the purpose above outlined,kt 'its open end portion,v theA body Afis formed with a flange 2providing'. a seat against which the closure Bis received and. locked'after the coflin lias.- been disposed in the vault or case andthe twoare ready to be i placed in the grave preliminary to the filling of thelatter. The closure B'conforms inits general outline or shapewithtliecrossseci tional outline `of/.the ,vault `body A and the lockingmeans for said closure will now be f setforth gv Y y Mounted on'theinner sideof the closure B arevtlie several lockiiig'lbolts 3, havingasortof radial disposition in respect to the approximate center of theclosure. AThe bolts 3 are adaptedattheir outer ends to engage- 2 by theprovision on said bolts of locking elements 4.

of the closure B,owing tothe provision of headed guiding, holding studs5,a V'plurality fof which yproject fromthe 'closure andpass 'throughslots inthe bolts.` v

VAttheirinner endsgtlie bolts 3 have racks 6 arranged in spacedrelation, and at these ends the bolts 3 areguided in their movementbyguide lugs-7, projecting from the turn `withtlie stub shaft 9, journaledon the closure at 'its central portion.y The stub shafthasa central bossl0' between which and;` the pinion A8 is an `actuating disk 1l. The'disk llis normally disposed in aseatl l2, formed on theinner surfaceofthe clowhich directly cooperate with the fiange.` `The bolts `3areslidable on the inner surface i ico surefB and saiddisk is `adaptedto turn with the shaft 9, along lwith the pinion 8.` A`

nut 18 screwed on theinner vendof the shaft' 9A holds the parts 8antilla-from displaceinentfromsaid 4The shaft 9 `may be vmember 14integrally or' otherwise` carried.. l

l squared end for the application thereto of a said to be a tvvo partshaft in that it-'come prises the section designated 9 and the section9ZL at` the outer portion of the section 9. The section 91Ihas anenlargement 9b Which receives in a threaded socket thereinV thethreadedfouter terminal 9c ofthe shaft section'9. Theparts 9b, 9c, and10 are largely s ,received andr operateb in a casing or hollow by theVcentral portion of the closure Band projecting. outwardly`V from thelatter. The outer end of the casing or memberlfl has an opening thereinthrough which the outer 'end of the shaft section 91 protrudes, saidshaft section being formed at, this portion With a Wrench ori somesuitable turning tool. By reason ofthe connection between the shaftsections 9a and 9 relative movement of these sections is enforceableunder certain conditions. i v f f Y W'Viththe understanding that themounting of `the locking bolts 3 relative to the studs 5 is suficientlylooseto permit of slight rocking of the bolts on said studs, whereby thebolts .may act after vthe manner of levers to impinge theouter endsthereof-against the flange 2, .the operation of the locking wmechanismthus far presentedlmay be set .the turning action of the part9fcauses-,turn

ing of the sha-ft sectionf9, the pinion 8 and disk 11.' The movement ofthe pinion 8, owing to its engagement with the racks 6,

forces Vthe 'bolts 3 outvvard until they lapv over and engage theflange2 on the inner side ofV the latter, the closure itself fitting i againsttheVv outer side of the `flange. The

bolts have novv preliminarily locked the clo- Vsurel againstdisplacement and in order to give a final sealing compression actiontothe closureBto press 1t firmly againstsuitable packing V15 interposed`between it and y the flangethe Wrench or tool engaged Ivvitl'r ythelshaft section 9EL is reversed in its movement. Thisaction results inunscrewing of @the portion 9c from the `portion 9b of the respectiveshaft sections'9 and 9a. VvBythe above operation the shaft section 9 iscausedy to xnoveinwa'rd'` carrying with i'tfthe disk 11 and pinion-8 andcausing Vtheouter portion of theA diskbearing against Athe inner endsvof thefracks u6 -to force said racks inward away from the closure thusrocking/them and causing the rocking bolts toact as levers forclampingthe closure B firmly against theflange. f v

j Since it is designed that once the closure B isinallysealed, the vaultshall be locked against tampering as Well as for rendering thesameairtight, I provide an auxiliary lockforthe bolts 3 in the form 'of anauto-V mati'cally locking dog 16 pivotedto theinner side of the closureB at 17. This dog operates in an opening inl one of the bolts 3, beingactuated by a spring 18 'which normally tends to 'throw the dog intoengagement with an inclined rack 19 at one side of the opening of theboltV ljust above mentioned. To maintain the dog 16 inactive duringtransportation and handling of the vault `preliminary to its sealing,any suitable means may be employed, that'shovvn being ascrew 20 onthefdog 16 adapted to be imping'ed against the inner side of the closureB and unscrevvedto release the dog when theclosure B is ready to`finally' seal andclosethe' open end of the vvault bodyA; Ubviously,when the closure B is finally placed into position with the dog 16Vreleased, `the spring'lS is free to engage the dogwith the rack'19 vvhen,theV bolts 3 are `projected"toengage the flange 2. blo means beingprovided by vwhich to unlock the "dog 16 fromA the ex-` terior, openingof the vault after its lineal sealing `is elfectivelyprevented.V

If 'desired the outer end of the shaft part 9a, may projectthrough apackingb'ox of any suitable type carriedby the outer end portion Aof thecasing 14. This istosubserve the airtight action ofthe closure B.

Having thus described my invention lwhat I yclaim as` new is Y 1. In aburial vault, the combination of a vaultbody, la closure therefor, alocking lmeans for the closure consisting of 'a series of locking bolts,andl means to operatey said bolts comprising a two part shaft on theclosure,la pinion connected vvith one part of `said shaft and engagingthe locking bolts to operate the latter in one direction and a diskcanried-by said part of the shaft adapted to engage the bolts and movethem in another direction, the other partof the shaft being'mov'ableWith the first named part to canse the pinion to Vactuate the bolts, andbeing` movable relatively independently of to cause sliding ,movementVof the bolts and ,said first named part tocause the disk to 1 Aactuatethe bolts, the'pinion being: arranged the disk being arranged tofcause alever-like movement of the bolts.

2. In a burial vault, the combination ',of'a vault body, a closuretherefor, a flocking means for the closure consisting of a series oflocking bolts, and means to operate'said bolts ycomprising a tWoxpartshaft on the closure, a Apinion. connected with V.one part ofsaid` shaftand engaging the locking bolts i fio to operate the latter in onedirection and a disk carried by said part of the shaft adapt ed toengage the bolts and move them in another direction7 the other part ofthe shaft being movable with the first named part to Cause the pinion toaetuate the bolts,v and being movable relatively independently of saidfirst named part to cause the disk to aetuate the bolts, the pinionbeing arranged to canse sliding movement of the bolts and the disk beingarranged to cause a lever-like movement of the bolts, the two parts ofthe Shaft having a screw connection with one shaft being assembled sothat movement or the second mentioned part causes abutment andsimultaneous movement of the first inentioned part, while a diiierentmovement of 4 the second mentioned part Causes separation action ofthetwo parts of the'shaft.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

HENRY C. SPONHAUER.

